Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alcatraz

/ˈælkətɹæz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.79 in modern English

Syllables
al-ca-traz
IPA
/ˈælkətɹæz/
19
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

An island in San Francisco Bay California, United States, formerly the site of a famous prison; in full, Alcatraz Island.

name

Ellipsis of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a famous former U.S. federal prison, on the island.

name

Ellipsis of Fort Alcatraz, a U.S. coastal defense fort, predecessor of the prison.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Spanish Isla de los Alcatraces (“island of gannets”), from Arabic الْغَطَّاس (al-ḡaṭṭās, “the diver”); named by Juan Manuel de Ayala, an explorer of San Francisco Bay.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: غَطَّاس

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈælkətɹæz/

Rhymes With

as has whereas jazz baz chaz vaz raz spaz mraz pizzazz faz

Questions

How do you pronounce alcatraz?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈælkətɹæz/.
What does alcatraz mean?
An island in San Francisco Bay California, United States, formerly the site of a famous prison; in full, Alcatraz Island.
Where does alcatraz come from?
It is traced to Spanish.

How to pronounce alcatraz

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “alcatraz”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈælkətɹæz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “alcatraz”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “alcatraz” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.